Apparatus for verifying punchings or notchings in sheets



FP 19440 D A. NEVHN 2,345,

APPARATUS FOR VERIFYING PUNCHINGS OR NOTCHINGS IN SHEETS Original FiledSept. 12. 1940 s Sheet-Sheet 1 INVENTOR DONALD A. A/zwu ATTORNEY April 91944 D. A. NEVIN 5 APPARATUS FOR VERIFYING PUNCHINGS OR NOTCHINGS INSHEETS Original Filed Sept. 12, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I am E11 3 g m 8 3q n INVENTOR 3 335%; DONflLD A. NEW/V April 4, l 44o N 2,345,358

APPARATUS FOR VERIFYING PUNCHINGS OR NOTCHINGS IN SHEETS Original FiledSept. 12, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR DONALD A. NEV/N 5 a/ 4 Arm/WE)Patented Apr. 4, 1944 APPARATUS FOR VERIFYING PUNCHINGS OR. NOTCHINGS INSHEETS Donald A. Nevin, Athens, Ohio, asslgnor to The McBee Company,Athens, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application September 12,1940, Serial No. 356,556. Divided and this application April 3, 1941,Serial No. 386,874

8 Claims.

My invention relates to an apparatus for verifying notched, punched orslotted sheets or cards, such as is described in my copendingapplication, Serial No. 356,556, filed September 12, 1940, of which thisis a division.

After cards or other sheet material have been slotted, punched ornotched for purposes of classification, it becomes important to verifysuch punching, slotting or notching by a separate operation, especiallywhere the information to be verified relates to financial accounts. Inorder to expedite such verification, it is convenient to utilize averifier similar in construction to the punching machine and having akeyboard similar thereto. In this manner, the operator will not berequired to learn an entirely new mode of manipulation.

The apparatus contemplated by the present application are particularlyadapted for use in conjunction with the notched cards of the typedisclosed in the patent to Alfred Perkins, No. 1,544,172. The frameworkof the device utilized in describing the present invention is similar tothat disclosed in the patent to Nelson S.-We1k, No. 2,035,777, andprovides a keyboard which may be identical with that of the Walk patent.

After a card or sheet has been punched,'slotted or notched to denotecertain designated classification or values, it is passed on to amachine of of the type to be disclosed herein, inserted with itsperforations or notches between electrical switching devices, one ormore of the switching devices being moved relatively with respect to thecard or sheet and indicating by the operation cf suitable electricalcircuits if any error has been made by either omitting any designationor including any which should not have been present. The presence oferror may be indicated by visual and/or audible means included-in theelectrical system.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an apparatuswhich may be employed to expedite the verification of such cards orsheets and thereby effect a material saving of the time and expenseinvolved in the operations as carried out in accordance with present daypractice.

And it is also proposed to create a machine which will where neededprovide for automatic compensation where cards or sheets of differentdimensions are to be served by the machine.

My means of accomplishing the foregoing objects may be more readilyunderstood by having reference to the accompanying drawings which arehereunto annexed and made a part of the specification in which I haveshown one form of apparatus to carry out the steps of the method, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a more or less diagrammatic view in elevation of theapparatus;

Fig. 2 is a wiring diagram showing electrical circuits utilized in theapparatus;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary showing of a card in conjunction with which useof the apparatus of Fig. 2 is suitable; and

Fig. 4. is a diagrammatic showing of a portion of the electrical circuitarrangement as utilized in conjunction with cards having one of theircorners cut away.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the entirespecification.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 has been generaly designated by referencecharacter In, and is provided with a plurality of keys l2 and 13,arranged in a manner similar to that disclosed in the patent to Welk,No. 2,035,777, already referred to. These keys are provided with shanksIt. each of which is connected with a rocker arm it, by means of a pivot18. Below each key shank and in the path of its travel, there isprovided a single-throw double-pole switch 20, having a movable switcharm 22, normally retained by means of a spring 24, in its uppermostposition in contact with its upper terminal 26. The switch arm is moveddownwardly when its corresponding key is depressed, by the action of therespective shank 94, bearing upon an insulating button 29. When theswitch arm 22 is thus depressed, its contact with the upper terminal 26is broken and it is brought into contact with the lower terminal 39, toestablish a new circuit which will be described subsequently. a

The sheet or card 32, intended to have its punching, slotting ornotching verified is received in the device between a front guide plate34, and a rear guide plate 36, until the leading edge of the card restsupon a supporting plate 38. In Fig. l of the drawings, the card 32 isshown in position to be verified. The guide plates 34 and 36 are cutaway at their lower ends 40 so as to expose the entire edge of the cardintended to be notched or otherwise mutilated and thereby permit accessto the card by the circuit closers to be described hereinafter. It willbe understood that the supporting plate 38, could assume a lowerposition in the device and/or the guiding plates 34 and 36 could be cutaway to expose other portions of the card or sheet in the event thatclosed perforations, slots or punched-out portions are preferred forclassification purposes to the notches employed in acard of the typedepicted in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

Pivotally mounted on a shaft 42, there is provided a bar 44, which ismoved from its normal position depicted in Fig. l of the drawings, in acounter-clockwise direction by a suitable actuating mechanismdiagrammatically indicated by the arrow 48, upon closing the circuit ofa motor which has not been shown. Bar 44 at the bottom of its stroke isadapted to come in contact with the inner end of pivotally mountedrocker arm I6, which is raised sufllclently for that purpose only whenthe keys I2 or I3 have been depressed, and in this way restore the keysto their normal position. It will be readily seen that when rocker armI5 is in its normal position, shown in Fig. 1, its inner end is notraised sufllciently to come in contact with bar 44 and it will beunaffected by movement of the bar. After the counterclockwise movementhas been completed to eflect the verifying operation, the bar is withdrawn by continued operation of the motor to its initial normal positionin preparation for a subsequent operation. Further reference to thedescription and operation of bar 44 is omitted since this mechanism issimilar to that shown and described in the above referred to Welk PatentNo. 2,035,777. Mounted upon the bar 46, there are a plurality of frontcircuit closers 48, there being one of such circuit closers for each ofthe keys I2. Each of these circuit closers is provided with a relativelyfixed contact element 50 and a relatively movable switch arm 52, havingan insulating button 54 adapted to enter a slot formed in the card 32,should there be one corresponding to the position of the particularcircuit closer when the bar 44 is moved through its counter-clockwisepath. As will be observed from the drawings, the circuit closer 48 isnormally open, the switch arm being brought into contact with theterminal only when the insulating button 54 engages an unnotched or unpunched portion of the sheet or card being verified.

The upper portion of the bar 44 supports another row of circuit closersI48, there being in this case as well, one of such circuit closers foreach of the keys I2. Each one of the circuit closers I48 is providedwith a relatively fixed contact element I50 and a relatively movableswitch arm I52, carrying an insulating button I54 which is adapted toenter a hole I53 formed in the guide pl'ate 34, whereby the button I 54will contact the body of the card when its sup= porting bar 44 partakesof its counter-clockwise movement.

Disposed on the opposite side of the sheet or card from the circuitclosers 48, there is provided a group of rear circuit closers 55, againcorresponding in number to the keys provided on the device andconsequently to the number of circuit closers 46 arranged in front ofthe card or sheet. The circuit closers 55 are provided with relativelyfixed terminals 55 and relatively movable switch arms 58 provided attheir ends with insulating buttons 60. As indicated in the drawings,circuit closers 55 are normally open, being closed by cooperation withany of the insulating buttons 54 of the circuit closers 48 which passthrough openings formed in the card 32.

Current may be supplied to the electrical system from any suitablesource, the transformer 62 having been indicated for purposes of thisdescription. From the upper terminal 64 of the transformer, a lead. 66connects with one terminal of a signal device which has been depicted asan incandescent lamp 6!, the opposite terminal of the lamp beingconnected by means of a lead III to a lead 12, connected with therelatively fixed contact of the circuit closer 55, and

by a lead I4, with the relatively movable switch arm 52 of the circuitcloser 48. The relatively movable switch arm 58 of the circuit closer 55is connected by means of a lead IS with the relatively fixed contact I50of the upper circuit closer- I48. The relatively movable switch arm I52of the upper closer is connected with the upper terminal 25 of theswitch 20 by a lead ll. The lower terminal 30 of the switch 20 isconnected by means of a lead 82, with the relatively stationary contact50 0f the switch or circuit closer 48. The switch arm 22 of the switch20 is connected by means of a lead I8, with the pole of the transformer62.

It is sometimes necessary or desirable to verify the punching ornotching of a card having smaller dimensions than those for which themachine is primarily designed. Or, a similar problem arises when it isdesired to verify the punching or notching along a shorter edge of acard of the size for which the machine is designed. Since from theforegoing description, it will be understood that only the precisenumber of circuit closers should be used as will correspond with thelength of the edge of a card being verified, automatic means has beenprovided to render operative the correct number of circuit closersrequired for verifying the punched portions of cards or edges of varyinglengths for which the machine is adapted. The single circuitarrangements thus far described is representativeof a plurality ofsimilar circuits arranged in parallel and depicted by correspondingcharacters in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The card 32 notched as depicted in Fig. 3 of the drawings will beinserted withits notched end to be verified directed downwardly betweenthe guide plates 34 and 36. The operator, knowing the data that wassupposed to have been represented when the card was notched, willdepress the proper key or combination of keys I2, which in the case ofthe particular card shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings would represent thevalue 23. The key I2 shown in Fig. l of the drawings is assumed to beone of those depressed to represent the value in question. As the shankof the key moves downwardly, it abuts the insulating button 28, breakingthe circuit between the switch arm 22 and the upper contact 25, andmaking the circuit between the switch arm 22 and the lower contact 30.The motor circuit will then be completed by operating a suitable switch(not shown), whereupon the bar 44 will be moved in a counter-clockwisedirection, the insulating button 54 of the circuit closer 48 passingthrough the cut-out portion of th guide plate 34 towards the card 32. Inthe event that the card has not been punched at this point, the materialof the card will resist the insulating button 54, so that upon continuedadvance of the bar 44, contact will be made between the switch arm 52and the relatively fixed terminal 50, and a circuit established throughthe signal device 88, notifying the operator that the card has not beenproperly punched,

The circuit may be traced as follows: from the lower terminal 80 of thetransformer 62, through the lead I8 to the switch arm 22, thence throughlower contact 30, lead 82 fixed contact 50, switch arm 52, lead I4: lead10, through the filament 01 the lamp 68, and from the opposite terminalof the lamp through the lead 66 to the upper ter minal 64 of thetransformer.

Again assuming that the key I2 ha been depressed and the switch arm 22moved into content with the lower terminal 30, and the motor circuitclosed to move the arm 44 counter-clock- .wise, this time furtherassuming that a notch at the lower edge of the card 32 registers withthe insulating button 54; under these circumstances, insulating button54 will pass through the notched portion of the card and abut theoppositely disposed insulating button 60 of the circuit closer 55,closing the circuit between the relatively movable switch arm 58 and therelatively fixed terminal 56. When this situation occurs, the circuitcloser 48 will not have its own circuit closed, the relative resistanceto flexing of the switch arms 52 and 58 being designed for this result.Accordingly, since the circuit closer 48 fails to complete the circuitestablished through the switch arm 22 and lower contact 30 of thecircuit closer 20, there will be no signal given by the lamp 68. In asimilar manner, although the circuit closer 55 is actuated to close thegap between its switch arm 58 and terminal 56, and although the gapbetween the arm I52 and terminal.|50 of closer I48 has been bridged,this circuit through the signal lamp is incomplete because the switcharm 22 of the switch 20 has been depressed from engagement with itsupper contact 26.

In the event that the classification value called for by the particularcard being verified does not require that key I2 be depressed, then thecorresponding switch arm 22 will be retained in its upper position bymeans of a spring 24 or by its own resilience. When the motor circuit isclosed and the arm 44 moved through its counter-clockwise path, if theinsulating button 54 should pass through a punched-out portion of thecard which was unintentionally formed, the signal circuit would then beclosed by completion of the circuit through the corresponding rearcloser 55 and front closer I48.

Tracing this circuit from the transformer, current would flow from thelower terminal 80 through the lead 18 to the switch arm 22, thencethrough the upper contact 26 and lead II through the switch arm I52 andterminal I50, through lead I6 to the relatively movable switch arm 58 ofthe circuit closer 55, then through the terminal 56, and lead I2, by wayof lead I and lamp 58, through the lead 66 and to the upper terminal 64of the transformer 62.

It will be understood that after the motor circuit has been closed,continued operation of the motor will return the bar 44, together withits circuit closers 48, to the initial position shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings preparatory for a new operation upon the insertion of the nextcard or edge to be verified.

Normally, with the bar 44 in its initial position as shown in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings, all of the circuit closers I48 are open, thus preventingthe passage of current from the switch arm 58 of the rear closer 55 tothe arm 22 of the key actuated switch 20. However, with a cardpositioned between the guide'plates, when the bar 44 moves towards thecard, the buttons I54 enter the holes I53 formed in the guide plate 34and the movement of each such button is restrained in the event that itencounters the face of the inserted card. All of the closers I48 whosebuttons so engage the card will close, upon continued advance of bar 44in a counter-clockwise direction. Accordingly, with a card wide enoughto engage all of the buttons I54, all of the switches I45 will beclosed.

Of course, when a card is inserted, one of its edges is located againsta stop corresponding to one employed when the card was slotted.Therefore, it the inserted card is of insuflicient width to be engagedby all of the buttons I54, those not encountered will not depress theirrespective switch arms and their circuit closers will remain in theiropen positions. Thus all of the closers I48 positioned beyond the widthof an inserted card remain inoperative, thereby automatically providingfor verifying card edges or unequal lengths without making any manualadjustments of the device.

Cards of the type shown in Fig, 3 of the drawings are manufactured witha corner 33 removed for purposes of needling" or sorting, and wheninserted in a certain position in the verifying device, the absence ofthis corner will permit one of the circuit closer buttons 54 to avoidthe card just as though the card were slotted at this point. Thisrelationship is clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings where one of thebuttons 54 registering with the removed corner would ordinarily indicatethat the card had been improperly punched by operating its correspondingcloser 55. To prevent this, I have arranged the circuit closers I48 inan offset position with respect to the corresponding circuit closers 48and 55. With such an oii'set arrangement the contact button 54, passingthrough the cut-away corner of the card will not complete the electricalcircuit controlled by the closer 55 because the same circuit is brokenat the switch I48 which remains open, due to the fact that it is offsetbeyond the edge of the card, in view of which its operating button I54fails to encounter the card and therefore enters its opening I53 andfails to depress its switch arm.

While for illustrative purposes, I have shown a specific arrangement ofapparatus to carry out my invention, it is to be understood that it isonly to show a preferred form and in no sense as a limitation becauseobviously many forms or arrangements of the apparatus may be employeding switch normally connecting one of said circuit closers to a'sourceof current, operation of said key serving to actuate said selectingswitch to disconnect the normally connected circuit closer from thecurrent source and connect the other of said circuit closers to thesource of current, one of said circuit closers being relatively movabletowards said card whereby contact with the material of the card willclose the. relatively movable closer and registration with an opening inthe card wil1 close the opposed circuit closer.

2. A verifier for punched cards comprising sets of opposed switchesnormally open having circuits including an alarm and a source ofcurrent, means for supporting a card with its punched portion interposedbetween said sets of switches,

means for imparting relative movement to certain of said sets ofswitches towards said card, engagement of one of said movable sets ofswitches with said card at a point that should be punched closing thesame and thereby completing a circuit to actuate said alarm, and failureof one of said movable sets of switches to engage said card at a pointthat should be closed closing the opposed set of switches and therebycompleting a circuit to actuate said alarm.

3. A verifier for punched cards comprising sets of opposed switcheshaving circuits including an alarm and a source of current, means forsupporting a card with its punched portion interposed between said setsof switches, means for imparting relative movement to the sets ofswitches on one side of said card towards said card, engagement of oneset of said movable sets of switches with said card at a point thatshould be punched being adapted to close a circuit and actuate saidalarm, failure oi this same set of movable switches to engage said cardat a point that should be closed being adapted to close the opposed setof switches and complete a circuit to actuate said alarm and one set ofsaid movable sets oi switches being laterally displaced with relation tothe others so as to remain open unless engaged by said card therebypermitting cards of unequal lengths to be verified.

4. In a verifier, the combination with means for holding stationary aperforated card, of a fixed switch with a fixed and a.movable contactarranged at one side of the card, two switches movably mounted at theother side of said card each with a fixed and a movable contact, meansto move each of said latter switches to yieldably bear upon the card,one of said movable switches engaging with said fixed switch to close itwhen a perforation in the card is presented between them and the otherof said movable switches being constructed to close when moved againstan unperforated portion of the card, circuits controlled by said severalswitches, and an electric signal means adapted for energization throughsaid circuits.

5. A verifier for a notched, punched or slotted card or sheet comprisinga stationary support for the card to be verified; circuit closersarranged in two groups on one side of said support and movable towardssaid card; one group of said movable circuit closers being controlled bythe presence of said card and the second group thereof having switchingmeans for selectively connecting it to a source of current; a thirdgroup of circuit closers arranged on the opposite side of said supportcooperating with the second group of movable circuit closers when anopening in said card is presented between them and signal meansconnected in circuit with all of the said circuit closers.

8. In a verifier, the combination with means for holding stationary aperforated card, of a contact switch fixed at one side of the card,upper and lower contact switches movably mounted at the other side ofsaid card adapted to yieldably bear thereon. circuits controlled by saidupper and lower and fixed switches, means for selectively energizing thecircuits controlled by said upper and lower switches, and electricsignal means adapted for energization through said circuits responsiveto an error as regards the location of perforations in said card.

'1. In a verifier, the combination with means for holding stationary aperforated card, of a contact switch mounted at one side of the card,upper and lower contact switches movably mounted at the other side ofsaid card adapted to yieldably bear thereon, said upper switch beinglaterally displaced with relation to said lower switch and governed bya. dimension of said card, circuits controlled by said upper and lowerand fixed switches, means for selectively energizing the circuitscontrolled by said upper and lower switches, and electric signal meansenergized through said circuits responsive to an error as regards thelocation of perforations in said card.

8. A verifier for perforated cards having a certain comer removedtherefrom comprising stationary means for supporting a perforated card;a contact switch mounted at one side of said card; upper and lowercontact switches movably mounted at the other side of said card adaptedto yieldably bear thereon, said upper switch being laterally displacedwith relation to said lower switch; circuits controlled by each of thesaid switches; means for selectively energizing the circuits; andelectric signal means energized through said circuits responsive to anerror as regards the location of perforations in said card and failingto respond in regard to the removed 6 corner of said card.

DONALD A. NEVIN.

